Tray follower



Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES TRAY FOLLOWER Harmon P. Elliott, Watertown, Mass. Application September 9, 1938, Serial No. 229,102

Claims.

This invention relates to filing trays especially adapted although not necessarily restricted to the storage of a collection of stencils for use in an addressing machine, and has particular, reference to a follower which is adapted to be movably supported by the tray for movement lengthwise thereof behind the collection of stencils or filed sheets to support the stencils or sheets in generally upright order.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a follower capable of free movement lengthwise of the tray when it is desired to shift position of the follower and having an improved form of locking means associated with it by which the follower can be clamped to the tray in any desired position lengthwise of the tray.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a follower having locking means in the form of a spring strip arranged for releasable endwise engagement with the tray to clamp the follower therein, the locking means also preferably comprising the handle for shifting the follower.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a follower having locking means comprising a spring strip arranged for edgewise clamping engagement with the tray and movable from a position where it is engaged with a part of the follower and pressed thereby into followerlocking engagement with the tray to a position where it can be flexed manually to release the follower.

A yet further object of the invention is. generally to improve the construction and facilitate the use of followers.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tray containing a collection of stencils supported in upright position by a follower embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the tray taken along line 22 of Fig. l and particularly illustrating the follower in the clamped position thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan detail of the follower and the tray similar to Fig. l but illustrating the manner of operating the locking member to free the follower for movement lengthwise of the tray.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the follower and illustrating the relative positions of the follower member and locking member therefor in the unstressed position of the parts.

Fig. 5 is a view of the follower in the tray and illustrating the relative disposition of the parts in the locked condition of the follower.

PATENTYOFFICE I I provided with round'top edges M. The trayal so has a front wall It and inturned cars is forming 5 a rear wall. The tray is here shown as being partially filled with a.collection of stencils 26 which are adapted for use in an addressing machine, the stencils being vertically disposed with their bottom edges on parts of the bottom wall vI 0. l0

7 The invention, however, is not necessarily restricted to the use of stencils'as the stencils can be replaced by cards, sheets'and the like. The collection of stencils is supported in vertical order within the tray by a follower 22 embodying the present invention disposed in the rear of g the stencil collection, the follower being shiftable lengthwise of the tray to maintain the stencils upright notwithstanding the number of stencils or hooks 26 providing generally semi-cylindrical recesses 28 within which the cylindrical edges 14 of the tray are located, the follower member bearing upon the tops of the cylindrical edges and the ends of the hook members being located, under the cylindrical edges so that the follower 30 member once it is hooked onto'the tray cannot become unintentionally separated therefrom. The follower member within the trayhas downwardly depending arm portions 29 which are inclined toward the middle part of the tray and are integral with a horizontal connecting member 30 disposed about in the middle part of the tray.

The strip comprising the follower member is relatively resilient and the distance between the side-receiving grooves 28 of the hooks issome- 40 what less than the corresponding distance between the'top edges of the tray so that the follower member is sprung under some stress when engaged with the top edges of the tray. The follower member, however, can be slid readily lengthwise of the tray when itis not clamped thereto.

The follower is provided with a clamping or looking member 32 in the form of a crooked resilient strip or wire adapted for endwise pressure follower member and in pressure engagement with the horizontal portion 30 thereof. The clamping wire is provided with upstanding and slightly outwardly inclined arms 38 and oppositely outwardly directed end members 40. Said end members when the clamping wire is not flexed and hence is not under stress are somewhat upwardly inclined, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 4. The end members pass loosely through and are journalled in apertures 42 in the arms 29 of the follower member near the top parts of the arms and have squared ends 64 which confront the inner faces of the sides of the tray opposite the hooks 26 of the follower member.

When the follower is free from the tray the follower and clamping members are unstressed and assume the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 4 where the end members ll! and the clamping member are somewhat inclined and the horizontal integral portion 36 is above and free from engagement with the confronting horizontal portion 30 of the follower member. The distance between the opposite ends 44 of the clamping member is less than the distance between the confronting inner faces of the sides l2 of the tray so that the arms 38 of the clamping memberare sprung inwardly from their somewhat outwardly inclined position, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and hence the ends of the clamping member are pressed forcibly against the inner faces of the sides of the tray, thereby clamping the sides of the tray between the clamping member and the hooks of the follower member.

In the clamped position of the follower and due to the change in the dimensions of the parts due to the follower being on the tray the horizontal portion 36 of the clamping member becomes lower than its at ease position illustrated in Fig. 4 so that when the clamping member is swung into parallelism with the follower member the horizontal parts 36 and 30 of the two members engage with a camming action which presses the clamping member upwardly and straightens the end members 46 thereof and thereby presses the ends of the end members outwardly and forcibly against the inner faces of the side walls of the tray, thereby clamping the follower member firmly to the sides of the tray so that it cannot be shifted accidentally.

The clamping pressure is relieved by moving the clamping member off its bearings on the horizontal part 30 of the follower member and into a horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereupon pressure on the side arms 38 of the clamping members causes the ends G4 to be withdrawn from engagement with the sides of the tray so that the follower member can be slid lengthwise of the tray by a pull or push on the clamping member. When the pressure on the side arms of the clamping member is removed the ends spring outwardly into engagement with the tray in the manner heretofore-described.

I claim:

l. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having hooks adapted to slidably engage the top edges of the tray and a locking member for said follower having locking end parts pivoted in said follower member about an axis substantially parallel 'to the general plane of the follower to swing from a locking position generally parallel with the follower to a right angularly related position to permit unlocking the follower and in such latter position constituting a handle member by which the unlocked follower can be moved along the tray.

2. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having means for slidable engagement with the tray and a locking member for said follower member comprising an intermediately bent resilient rotatable strip carried by said follower member and having opposite and outwardly moving ends rotatably and slidably mounted in said follower and adapted for engagement with the tray.

3. A follower for trays comprising a follower member for slidable engagement with the sides of the tray and a locking member for said follower member comprising a resilient strip having its end parts slidably mounted in said follower member for outward and inward movement and having an intermediate reflexed part providing spring arms that urge said end parts outwardly, said intermediate reflexed part being rotatable to lock the end parts in outward position.

4.. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having hooks slidably engageable with the sides of the tray, and a resilient locking strip carried by said follower member having oppositely directed ends confronting said hooks and an intermediate resilient part out of the line through said ends arranged to urge said ends outwardly, said intermediate resilient part being arranged to be rotated into engagement with said follower member to lock the ends in outward position.

5. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having hooks adapted to slidably engage the sides of the tray and a locking member comprising a resilient strip having an intermediate reflexed part providing a pair of spaced arms and outstanding extended end parts slidable in said follower member and terminated in ends confronting said hooks, said arms being resilient to maintain said ends yieldingly in an outward and locking position and capable of being flexed inwardly toward each other to move said ends inwardly away from looking position, said follower member and said intermediate refiexed part having removable pressure engagement which releasably maintains said locking member in locking position.

6. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having hooks adapted for slidable engagement with the sides of the tray and an intermediate part disposed below the line through said hooks and a locking member comprising a resilient strip having an intermediate part and upwardly extending spaced armsterminated in oppositely directed and upwardly inclined end parts slidably and pivotally journalled in said follower member and having ends confronting said hooks, said intermediate part of said looking member having a camming engagement with the intermediate part of said follower member which forces the intermediate part of said locking member upwardly and straightens the end parts thereof and forces them outwardly into locking position.

'7. A follower for trays comprising a follower member having hooks slidably engageable with the sides of the tray and having a depressed intermediate part and a locking member comprising a resilient strip pivotally carried by said follower member and having outwardly directed end parts confronting said hooks and a depressed intermediate part forcibly movable over said depressed part of said follower member and operative to force said ends outwardly.

8. A follower for trays comprising a C shaped follower member having reflexed ends providing hooks slidably engageable with the sides of the tray and a locking member comprising a springy wire having outwardly directed end parts pivotally and slidably mounted in said follower member and confronting said hooks and having an intermediate ofiset part providing spaced arms carrying said end parts, said end parts being urged outwardly by the inherent resiliency of said arms and capable of movement inwardly upon inward fiexure of said arms.

9. A follower for trays comprising a C shaped follower member having refiexed ends providing hooks slidably engageable with the sides of the tray and a locking member comprising a springy wire having outwardly directed end parts pivotally and slidably mounted in said follower member and confronting said hooks and having parallel to the follower member and having means for engaging the follower for locking the locking member to the follower member.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

